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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367772">Sticks and Stones and First Dates</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/St_Are/pseuds/St_Are'>St_Are</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alex Is Canonically The Strongest One, Anxiety, Comfort, First Dates, Fluff, Gay Panic, M/M, Nature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:08:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/St_Are/pseuds/St_Are</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Willie and Alex go out on a date, but Alex has anxiety</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sticks and Stones and First Dates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I don’t like this” Said Alex in a high pitched tone.</p><p>The night was beautiful, the black sphere shone with thousands of stars like it was just for the two of them, and every bug they encountered chirped a cute soft melody. Alex didn’t like that.</p><p>He was never an outdoorsy kind of guy, he liked being in spaces he could control and know perfectly, he didn’t like changes and nature is always changing . But then Willie invited him to Yosemite Valley after a week of not seeing each other a lot and he couldn’t say no to that cute face. To survive the date he just had to bottle up every single negative reaction he could have or get about the forest.</p><p>Easy task. He pretended to be straight for 16 years.</p><p>Alex held onto his fanny pack as they walked, and Willie thought he looked so adorable when he did it.</p><p>The blond one didn't hate all of nature, as doing that would be impossible and hateful, he appreciated that Willie had found a place as beautiful and mesmerizing as the forest, he just hated that everything could jump out and kill him, or he could trip and die, or he could have an allergic reaction and die. </p><p>Willie, on the other hand, loved every part of the trip. When he was alive, he used to go to the forest as much as he could; he sometimes walked to the forest, or sometimes got a ride instead. He loved to see the bugs living in their environment and how the birds would try to ignore him as much as possible to just be birds. The place had changed over the years, it was smaller, but the essence was still the same.</p><p>They held hands as much as they could, but Alex had to let go every time he heard a noise that was definitely not a rabbit. He also put a hand over Willie to protect him every time. Willie loved how, even if he was scared, he tried to be brave for him.</p><p>They had reached a monticle of boulders after walking for a while, and Willie looked like he had just found gold. He friendly tapped Alex’s shoulder, before starting to climb.</p><p>Alex could only look and smile. Willie was so happy while climbing. </p><p>Since he was a ghost, his air existence guaranteed that he could not move objects like Lifers do, but, since he was putting a lot of focus on the rocks and dents, he still moved them a little bit. </p><p>Alex smiled, he liked seeing Willie’s dimples when he smiled and how his hair blew in the night air, but on the inside he was shitless terrified. </p><p>Can ghosts break a bone? Can ghosts end up under a pile of rocks and lay there forever? Can a ghost get a cut? What if a snake comes out of the rocks and bits Willie? What if a badger comes out and bits Willie? Would he get rabies? Could he get rabies? How do you cure ghost rabies? These questions haunted his mind and by every second that passed they turned into a bigger and more intricate set of questions.</p><p>He sighed loudly, before touching his fanny pack once again. He grabbed it tight, and remembered he was fine and nothing would happen. He did it a couple of times so he could be in touch with reality.</p><p>“Hot dog, join me this is crazy!” Willie was half way through the pile, his hands were now covered in scratches but he didn’t mind, he could kind of see the top and was excited for it. He put more energy into his grip and climbed faster, trying, as always, to impress the cute blond drummer.</p><p>Unfortunately, gravity was homophobic.</p><p>A rock gave in, and Willie lost his grip and fell.</p><p>Alex didn’t even think what to do, he just panicked and rushed to help, grabbing Willie in his arms and stopping him from falling, and possibly getting a ghost broken bone.</p><p>They stood there, Willie’s eyes were wide and he breathed rapidly but he didn’t hyperventilate, he just tried to recompose himself.  Alex on the other hand, began to admire how insanely beautiful Willie was. His lips, his eyebrows, how his hair fell in his shoulders.</p><p>“I didn’t know you were, ehm, so strong!” Said the brunet. </p><p>“I had to carry the drums to all of our presentations, sometimes Luke and Bobby helped, but it was mostly me” Alex wanted to explain more, but preferred not to.</p><p>They breathed slowly after the exchange, trying to calm each other.</p><p>“Thanks hot dog” Willie finally said. He smiled shyly, and Alex just gulped before putting him down. </p><p>“I think that’s ruined. Wanna just poof to the top?” Willie was still shocked. Not that he could have died again, but falling was still something he wanted to avoid.</p><p>“Oh thank god yes” Alex sighed relieved, before poofing to the top of the monticle.</p><p>The view there was glorious. If from the ground they could see the sky, from the top they could see the trees, the rocks, the earth and the sky. It left the poor guy breathless.</p><p>“You could say it’s magical, huh?” Alex said.</p><p>Willie called over to him. He was sitting on a large boulder with his legs crossed. He had taken off his helmet and his hair was flowing.</p><p>Alex sat next to him with much more confidence than their first times being together; he still had his hands on his legs but they were never on his legs for much.</p><p>“Do you like being here?” Willie asked with the biggest eyes. He was worried about Alex, he knew he wasn’t as an outsider as he was, but he thought he would like the parke, maybe like it as much as he did.</p><p>The blond one looked at him, with a confused look in his eyes. Alex realized he had to make a decision, to either tell Willie that this was second place to when he cried for 25 years of his worst experiences, or lie and let Willie live a happy and nice night with him.</p><p>Before he even could open his mouth, Willie knew what was happening.</p><p>“What’s bothering you?” Willie didn’t want to make Alex feel less than afe and sound, so him being uncomfortable was a pretty big deal.</p><p>Alex relaxed his shoulder and put his hands in his fanny pack.</p><p>“Willie, this place is amazing” Like you, he thought. “It’s just that… I was never an outdoors kinda guy. When I was a lifer, I had a lot of allergies and fears so I prefered buildings. Also, when I was 3 years old my dad got a dog the size of our door and I was so scared of him because I thought it was a bear that I didn’t want to go vacation on the cabin my dad rented for 5 years”</p><p>As always, Alex overshared when he was with Willie. But Willie liked it a lot. He found it amusing and very adorable.</p><p>“Why didn’t you say so? We could have gone to a water park or just sightseeing” Waterparks were a big no for Alex too, but he wasn't going to tell him. Willie didn’t want to make Alex feel bad, he wanted to impress that boy, but in a good way, not in a way that would harm him or make him feel bad.</p><p>Alex slowly and gently touched Willie’s hand, and Willie just stared at him.</p><p>“Because you wanted to see the stars and trees, and who am I to tell you no?” Alex wanted to be charming, but he also wanted to be honest. Willie being happy made him happy, and that happiness could block his anxiety, sometimes.</p><p>“Next time, let’s go to a museum, I heard they opened a really great one on downtown” Willie said, kissing Alex briefly on the cheek before standing up. </p><p>The blond one lost his train of thought. Willie was so wonderful.</p><p>“Let’s go ten, I’ll show you how” The brunet pointed to a bunch of stars Alex could not identify or make sense of, but made a lot of sense to the other boy. Willie started to walk towards the main road, waiting for Alex to speed up.</p><p>Alex was still recovering from the kiss. He loved Willie so much.</p><p>“Hurry up hotdog; so I can tell you how that constellation got its name” Willie laughed while he ran, his hair waving to the wind.</p><p>They loved each other so much.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first published fanfic, hope you like it! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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